This edited volume is an invitation to redesign STEM higher education. It shows the way to active learning in diverse scenarios and provides educators, leaders and policymakers with a visionary approach to active learning and hands-on examples of how education can help students navigate complexity and unpredictability--the challenges of…

In this chapter we report and discuss inquiry-based science teaching/learning and more specifically dialogic inquiry, as a basis for a professional development programme for teachers. The pilot programme aimed at (1) considering teachers' experience, (2) letting teachers develop their current lessons and (3) prompting teachers' reflections on…

Inquiry activities generate rich opportunities for STEM learning and for assessment. When teachers pay attention to assessment information collected during the course of learning, they are able to interpret and make decisions about such assessment data in a timely fashion that can drive future planning and support student learning, for example…

This chapter reports the results of three research studies on peer assessment carried out in different countries where it is an unusual practice (France, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic). The three research studies focus on different competences and different disciplines (sciences and mathematics), but they all involve inquiry-based approaches…

There are many potential harms to individuals, societies and environments associated with powerful "networks" of living, nonliving and symbolic entities (actants), such as financiers, banks, think tanks, transnational trade organizations and agreements, competitiveness, scientists, engineers, universities, governments, military,…

Utilizing inquiry-based science teaching and learning (IBST/L) does not necessarily ensure learning of nature of science (NOS). Teachers who are trained to utilize IBST/L should also be concerned about their students' understanding of NOS, because without explicit NOS teaching, students fail to grasp important characteristics of science even after…

The curricular statements of most European countries contain goals for scientific literacies and process competencies. However, we argue that direct targeting by teachers of these goals, or active achievement of them by students, may not actually occur. We report our experience of implementing a teacher development initiative aimed at supporting…

New competence-oriented learning goals can only be sustainably implemented if they are aligned with teaching and assessment goals. Within the fields of science, technology and mathematics education, one approach of competence-oriented teaching is based on the concept of inquiry-based education. Scientific inquiry in science, problem solving in…

Current visions for the education of young people propose learning in meaningful contexts, relevant for citizens of a modern society. Inquiry-based teaching is one such approach in science education, but its potential can best be realised through constructive collaboration between teachers and across subjects. This chapter presents a case of…

This book reports the results of a research project that investigated assessment methods aimed at supporting and improving inquiry-based approaches in European science, technology and mathematics (STM) education. The findings were used to influence policy makers with guidelines for ensuring that assessment enhances learning. The book provides…

This book examines the implementation of inquiry-based approaches in science teaching and learning. It explores the ways that those approaches could be promoted across various contexts in Europe through initial teacher preparation, induction programmes and professional development activities. It illustrates connections between scientific knowledge…

The ASSIST-ME project has a dual aim: (1) to provide a research base on the effective uptake of formative and summative assessment for inquiry-based, competence-oriented Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) education and (2) to use this research base to give policy-makers and other stakeholders guidelines for ensuring that assessment enhances…